novelhk Chapter 108 She's the beautiful aunt who saved me!
Chapter 108 She's the beautiful aunt who saved me!
A warmth filled her heart, and she suddenly reached out to hug his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder: "Mmm, no rush. I'll be happy as long as you feel better."
Bai Rongbei's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
He raised his hand and ruffled her hair.
After the two finished eating the pancakes, Bai Rongbei handed her a water bottle: "Have some water."
Su Wanwan took a few sips and handed the kettle back to him.
Bai Rongbei naturally took it and drank two sips from the spout.
"Let's go." He stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and then squatted down in front of her. "Get on, I'll carry you."
Su Wanwan looked at his broad back and hesitated for a moment: "I can walk..."
"It's a long way, and besides, weren't your legs weak?" Bai Rongbei didn't even turn his head.
Su Wanwan recalled the kiss from earlier, which had made her legs go weak. She felt ashamed of herself and her face flushed.
She bit her lip and leaned against his back.
Bai Rongbei reached behind her with his arm, supporting her legs steadily, and stood up.
He walked steadily, his steps firm.
Su Wanwan lay on his back, feeling the rise and fall of his back muscles and their warmth.
"Why did you come here?" she asked.
"I was on a mission in the next village, and it ended early last night." Bai Rongbei's voice was low, rising and falling slightly with his footsteps. "I was worried that you wouldn't be used to it since it was your first time in the countryside, so I came to check on you. I had just arrived at the commune when I heard you were missing."
He spoke casually, but Su Wanwan knew that the neighboring village and Hongxing Commune were far apart, so he must have rushed over overnight.
She hugged his neck tightly and whispered, "Thank you."
"You're my wife, it's only natural for me to care about you, no need to thank me," Bai Rong replied, walking forward step by step.
As the sun rose higher, the Gobi Desert brightened up.
Smoke was rising in the distance; the villagers must have started making breakfast.
The atmosphere inside the commune compound wasn't so bright.
Zhou Min stood in the center of the courtyard, her face ashen.
Her eyes were dark and swollen, clearly she hadn't slept all night.
The other members of the performing arts troupe next to me also looked very haggard, sitting or standing, but they didn't seem to have much energy.
"Still haven't found it?" Officer Zhang strode in from outside, his brows furrowed.
Zhou Min shook her head: "We've searched the entire area, but there's nothing. All the footprints disappeared after the sandstorm; it's hard to follow them."
"That child... why is she so troublesome!" A female comrade from the division's cultural troupe couldn't help but complain in the crowd. "We were all traveling together, how come she's the only one running off? Now look what's happened, so many people have been looking for her all night, causing so much trouble!"
As soon as she said that, others immediately agreed.
"Exactly, if she hadn't run around like that, we would have rested long ago."
"Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin were injured but still insisted on looking for the child, but she just disappeared without a trace."
"I heard it got lost on its own... Isn't this just making things worse?"
Hearing these words, Zhou Min's face darkened further: "Stop talking! What's the point of saying all this when we haven't even found the person yet?"
"Captain Zhou, it's not that we're being nosy," the woman who had complained earlier said, pursing her lips. "Look at Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin, that's the true spirit of cultural soldiers! They were injured and bleeding, but they still insisted on saving the child. That's what it means to put the greater good first, that's what it means to be a hero!"
As she spoke, she looked at Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin, who were sitting under the eaves.
Both of them had bandages wrapped around their arms and backs, and their faces were pale, but they sat upright, accepting the admiring gazes of those around them.
Wang Xiuying lowered her head, seemingly humble, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Gu Lin, holding a notebook, was being interviewed while whispering something to Zhang, occasionally glancing at Wang Xiuying, the two exchanging knowing glances.
At this moment, Gou Dan's mother came out of the house carrying the child.
Dog Egg had changed into clean clothes and his little face was washed clean, but his eyes were still a little red, obviously from crying.
"Goudan, hurry up and kowtow to your two benefactors!" Goudan's mother pulled her child and walked up to Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin.
Dog Egg looked at them timidly, without moving.
Wang Xiuying quickly waved her hands: "No, no, no, sister, you can't do that! We just did what we were supposed to do."
Dog Egg's mother burst into tears again: "If it weren't for you, my Dog Egg would... he would... Comrades, you are our family's greatest benefactors!"
People around also chimed in:
"What a hero!"
"Look at their awareness!"
"Unlike some people, who only cause trouble!"
Hearing these praises, Wang Xiuying felt extremely comfortable.
Although I was stabbed last night and it hurt terribly, it was worth it.
Gu Lin's report will definitely portray her brilliantly, and once she returns, her position in the cultural troupe will be secure.
As for Su Wanwan... she'd better not come back.
Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Everyone turned to look.
Bai Rongbei carried Su Wanwan on his back and stepped into the courtyard.
The morning light shone from behind them, casting long shadows on the ground.
Both of them were covered in sand and their hair was messy, but Bai Rongbei walked steadily, with Su Wanwan clinging to his back and her arms around his neck.
The courtyard fell silent immediately.
Everyone was stunned.
Zhou Min was the first to react and quickly walked over: "Wanwan! Are you alright?"
Su Wanwan slid off Bai Rongbei's back, her legs still a little weak when her feet touched the ground, and Bai Rongbei helped her up.
"I'm fine, Captain Zhou," she said softly. "I just got lost last night, but thankfully... Commander Bai found me."
She said it simply, but everyone could tell from her disheveled appearance that she must have suffered a lot.
The woman who had complained earlier snorted, "Lost? Weren't we all looking for the child together? How come you're the only one who got lost? Comrade Su Wanwan, do you know how much trouble your running away has caused the organization?"
Su Rongbei frowned and looked at the person who had spoken.
The female comrade felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, but she remained defiant: "Commander Bai, we're not blaming your wife, but she was indeed in the wrong. Look at Comrades Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin; they were injured but still insisted on completing their mission. That's what you call organized and disciplined!"
Bai Rongbei ignored her and turned to Zhou Min, asking, "Have you found the child?"
Zhou Min nodded: "They found her. She was rescued by Comrades Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin."
Upon hearing this, Su Wanwan looked at Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin. The two of them were sitting there, also looking at her with complicated expressions.
Wang Xiuying stood up and limped over, her face full of concern: "Wanwan, you're finally back! We were so scared last night, where did you go? We looked for you for ages!"
She spoke eloquently, but her words implied that Su Wanwan was running around recklessly.
Gu Lin also came over, holding a notebook in her hand: "Comrade Su Wanwan, it's good that you're alright. The situation was urgent last night, and we had no choice but to split up. But it's a blessing that you came back safely."
Her words sounded like she was trying to smooth things over, but in reality, they confirmed Su Wanwan's crime of "leaving the team without permission."
Su Wanwan looked at them without saying a word.
At this moment, Gou Dan suddenly broke free from his mother's arms, ran up to Su Wanwan, and hugged her leg.
"Pretty auntie!" He looked up, his eyes red, "You protected me last night! You're not allowed to scold pretty auntie!"
The courtyard fell silent once more.
Dog Egg's mother was stunned: "Dog Egg, what did you say?"
Dog Egg clung tightly to Su Wanwan's leg, then turned to look at Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin, his lips trembling. "It wasn't them... Last night, it was the pretty aunt who hid me. Two bad uncles were trying to catch me, and the pretty aunt told me to hide, then she ran away and led the bad uncles away."
The child's words were incoherent, but the meaning was clear.
Everyone understood.
Wang Xiuying's face turned pale instantly.
Gu Lin froze, almost dropping the notebook in her hand.
Officer Zhang stepped forward, squatted down, and gently asked Gou Dan, "Gou Dan, tell me slowly, what exactly happened last night? Who found you first?"
Dog Egg sobbed, "I...I was hiding in a dark hole when two bad uncles came in. Then a pretty aunt came, and she shoved me into a small hole and covered me with grass. She told me to be quiet, and then she ran away. The bad uncles chased after her..."
He pointed at Su Wanwan: "It's this pretty auntie."
He then pointed to Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin: "These two aunties arrived later. By the time they found me, the bad uncle had already gone after the pretty auntie."
The courtyard was completely silent.
All eyes turned to Su Wanwan.
Su Wanwan gently patted Gou Dan's head and looked at Officer Zhang and Zhou Min: "Last night I heard someone talking strangely, so I paid attention. Later, when we were looking for the child, I saw Wang Xiuying and Comrade Gu Lin heading towards the brick kiln, so I followed them. I saw two men injure them and then go into the brick kiln. I guessed the child might be inside, so I crawled in through the side hole and found Gou Dan."
She paused, her voice calm: "Those two were probably spies, trying to create conflict using the child. I hid Gou Dan and deliberately made noise to distract them. Later, I kept running, and when a sandstorm hit, I hid. Then... Commander Bai found me."
After she finished speaking, the courtyard became so quiet you could hear the wind.
Wang Xiuying's lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.
Gu Lin's face flushed red and then turned pale, and she gripped the notebook tightly in her hand.
Officer Zhang stood up, looked at Wang Xiuying and Gu Lin, and asked seriously, "Comrades, is what Gou Dan said true?"
Wang Xiuying opened her mouth, but ultimately lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "When we...when we arrived, the child was indeed hidden. We thought...we thought we had found him..."
Gu Lin also spoke with difficulty: "We were injured, and in a moment of confusion, we... we thought it was our doing."
The truth is clear.
Zhou Min's face turned pale with anger: "Foolish? Is this foolishness? This is taking credit for others' work! This is deceiving the organization!"